Dasha Burns: Politico's New Global Anchor Blending Journalism with Creator Strategies

Politico’s Dasha Burns recently received a playful jab from a colleague, who likened her to “the Marco Rubio of Politico.” The reference nods to the U.S. Secretary of State’s numerous federal roles—and the memes that followed. “I wonder when the memes will start coming out,” Burns, 34, told TheWrap from her Washington, D.C., home in the Bloomingdale neighborhood ahead of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Her anticipation may soon be justified. Starting next month, Burns will take on a new title: Politico’s Global Anchor. In this role, she will expand the outlet’s journalism through increased video and audio content. This appointment adds to her existing responsibilities, which include serving as Politico’s White House bureau chief—a position where she has both interviewed and clashed with former President Donald Trump—chief correspondent of the Playbook newsletter, and host of “The Conversation,” a Sunday talk series featuring interviews with global leaders such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, and Bill Gates. She also moderates C-SPAN’s weekly “Ceasefire,” a panel show where political opponents engage in civil debate.

Since joining Politico in December 2024—after being recruited by Jonathan Greenberger from NBC News—Burns has become the outlet’s first attempt at molding a journalist into a creator-like figure. This shift aligns with Politico’s broader push to enhance its video and audio output. Burns’ rise coincides with Greenberger’s own ascent; he joined Politico six months before her, following a decade at ABC News, and was named editor in chief last month.

Politico’s strategy reflects a growing trend in Washington media, where scoop-driven reporters are being transformed into multiplatform stars. Axios, for example, has tasked several of its beat reporters with conducting on-camera interviews for “The Axios Show.” Meanwhile, The Washington Post launched “WP Creator,” a new franchise anchored by reporter Dylan Wells, which covers the creator economy through a newsletter and Wells’ TikTok account. Additionally, NOTUS—founded by Politico co-founder Robert Allbritton and set to be renamed “The Star”—debuted its own video podcast, “On NOTUS.”

“It’s the ability to be on your TV, in your ear, in your inbox,” Burns said. “I think that is the world that we’re all pivoting to. That’s what I’m trying to help drive at Politico and sort of help bring others in the newsroom [along].”

Multiplatform Presence and Industry Trends

One of Burns’ most vivid memories from her nearly decade-long tenure at NBC News was covering the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman attempted to assassinate the former president, reshaping the 2024 presidential race. She described reporting “basically non-stop” from roughly 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the scene, an experience that underscored her commitment to delivering real-time updates to an audience hungry for news.

Burns and Greenberger’s backgrounds in television, she noted, could infuse Politico’s expanded video and audio projects with a sense of urgency. “Politico has always sort of had the seeds of this,” she said, referring to the outlet’s potential for engaging new storytelling formats.